Combined dispenser and applicator for adhesive tapes



Nov. 26, 1963 P. B. SHARPE 3,112,051

' COMBINED DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR FOR ADHESIVE TAPES Filed Oct. 5, 1960 United States Patent 015 ice 3,1 12.,051 Patented Nov. 26, 1963 3,112,051 COMBINED DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR FOR ADHESIVE TAPES Philip Boies Sharpe, Rockport, Maine (88 Crescent St., Franklin, Mass.) Filed Oct. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 60,227 2 Claims. (Cl. 225-6) This invention relates to handling rolls of sticky and any other materials that come in rolls and are designed to be stuck to other materials by means of gum, gllue, rosins, or other adhesives, with or without the addition of water or other substances.

Interpreted somewhat more specifically, it relates to structurally novel means of applying adhesive tapes, or dispensing adhesive tapes, or similar materials, and in addition it relates to a combination of the dispensing and applying devices. It is the primary object of this inventlon to combine an applicator with a dispenser for adhesive tapes and the like which will make it easy to dis pense and apply such materials from the roll.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for adhesive tapes and the like which will include an applicator that will make it easy to apply the tape to the exact spot where it is wanted.

A further important object of the instant invention is to provide a dispenser of adhesive tapes and the like which will include an applicator that will facilitate applying pressure upon the whole surface of the applied tape in order to secure a good bond.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a dispenser-applicator for adhesive tapes which will make it easy to grip the tape and pull it off the roll.

A still further object of this invention dispenser-applicator device for adhesive tapes and the like which will make it easy to let go of the tape and disengage ones self from it.

Another important object of the present invention is to structurally novel means of gummed paper, medical adhesive tape,

cellophane tape, postage stamps, Christmas seals, I

other embodiment of the present inventive concept, shown in use.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of this inventive concept, shown in use.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3 shown in use and almost in position to cut off the applied tape close to the package.

More specifically, as shown in FIGURE 1, the roll of tape 1, including the tape 2 and the core 3, is partially enclosed in case 4. As it is unrolled, the loose end 5 of the tape is doubled over the cut-off device 6 and laid snugly on the applicator .18, on its bearing surface 7, to terminate at point 8 (or in the application of the tape at the point 9) with all but the loose finger-grip end 8 ready to be applied at 10 to the package 11. Due to the shape 18 of the particular applicator-dispenser shown here, there is a long bearing surface 7 on the applicator part of the device and so the adhesive tape can if desired be applied in relatively long strips 10 to the package 11 by means of rocking motions of the invention as a whole. Notch 12 makes it easy to get hold of the tape and the pins 13 catch the severed end of the tape remaining upon the roll.

In FIGURE 2 we find delineated an embodiment of the invention which has a shorter bearing surface 7 of applicator part 18 and perhaps a different curve, even a flat one 7.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 5 is one in which the applicator part 18 is rotary and comprises the roll of tape itself. The tape 5 is drawn around is to provide a provide a device of this sort which when loaded, will applicator of adhesive tapes and the like which will facilitate severing the applied tape at any desired point.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the sort named which will make it easy to prevent the tape from again becoming stuck firmly to the roll.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device of the type described which will store an extra roll of tape, so that one will not unexpectedly run out of tape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser-applicator for adhesive tapes which will make it difiicult for the user to get stuck or entangled with the tape or to get the tape snagged or stuck or entangled with other objects or with itself.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a dispenser-applicator for adhesive tapes which will run the tape upon the applicator with the adhesive coated side outward.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the instant inventive concept, shown in use.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present inventive concept, shown in use.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of yet aninverting pin 14 to turn it adhesive coated side outwardly of the applicator bearing surface 7 which is the outer surface of the roll which supplies the tape.

In FIGURE 4 is illustrated an embodiment which comprises not only the supply roll .15 but also a reserve roll 16 which is installed in its bed 17 and around which tape from the supply roll 15 is led in such a way that roll 16 reverses the tape just as roller pin 14 does in FIGURES 3 and 5, running the tape with its adhesive coated side disposed outwardly of the applicator surface 7 of roll 16. Reserve roll 16 thus serves as the applicator. Rolls 15 and 16 are identical, and interchangeable in both position and function. Marks 20 on tape and core, and in some embodiments on the applicator part of case 4, are

' to measure off the tape.

In the embodiment in FIGURE 1 the notch 12 facilitates gripping the free end of the tape and pulling it out. Then it is wrapped around the cut-off device 6 and along bearing surface 7 of the applicator part 18. By lowering the whole device to the package 11 and by rocking it, the part of the tape which lies along the bearing surface 7 may be pressed firmly to the package 11 getting a good bond as shown at 10. If desired additional tape can be pulled out with the fingers or by rocking the invention so far to the right as to turn it practically up-side-down and then pulling the whole device away from the package. The additional tape can be applied by rocking as before. Finally, this embodiment is rocked onto its right-hand end (the one from which the tape issues) whereupon a sweeping motion of the whole device to the right can be used to cut off the applied tape close to the package. Any tag end of the applied tape which might remain at either end of the applied tape can be pushed down onto the package by rocking the applicator bearing surface 7 on it as before but this time with the applicator surface 7 unloaded and bare, or alternately, it can be smoothed down with the fingers.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2 is employed in the same way, the differences being in the shorter bearing surface 7 of the applicator part 18 and in the possibly different curve of the bearing surface 7, requiring a shorter rocking motion and perhaps (if surface 7 is flat) a pressing motion instead.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, the roll of tape is made to apply the tape as well as supply it. As before, the tape which has been turned over by being doubled back on itself in the other direction (in this case by roller pin 14) is wrapped with its adhesive coated side outward on the bearing surface 7 of the applicator 18 (in this case the supply roll itself) and then pushed down as part of the device as a whole onto the line 10 to which one wishes to apply the tape. In this embodiment the length of tape which can be applied in one motion is not limited by the length of the bearing surface 7 of the applicator part 18 but by the amount of tape on the roll. This is true because the applicator in this embodiment is rotary. One needs merely keep on rolling the tape simultaneously off the roll and onto the package until he has applied all the tape he wishes to apply. Then finally, to end the process he just turns the invention counter-clockwise a little further than is shown in FIGURE and continued motion of the device to the right will then cause the cut-off device 6 to cut the applied tape closely and neatly near the package.

With the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4, the use is like that of the embodiment shown in FIGURES 3 and 5. There is the difference that the reserve roll of tape 16 (or the core of the exhausted roll in some cases) is used as the rotary applicator. The advantages of this include the presence of a reserve supply, a larger applicator-dispenser is easier ot grasp in case of small rolls such as those of cellophane tape, the rotary applicator revolves in such a direction as to assist rather than to oppose the flow of the tape being applied (which is not true in the embodiment of FIGURES 3 and 5) making it roll easier, the reserve roll comprises a larger turning pivot than the pin roller 14 of FIGURES 3 and 5 which also serves to make it flow more easily, it is more economical to sell and buy the rolls in pairs than singly, when the supply roll is exhausted one can either swap the rolls 15 and 16 around, exchanging their position and rethread, or one can merely turn the invention upside-down and rethread the tape, using the empty core of the exhausted roll as the new rotary applicator in each case, until such time as one can replace it with another roll.

From this description it can be seen that the stated objects of the present inventive concept, and others besides, have all been attained by a number of embodiments which must be taken as illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A combined tape dispenser and applicator comprising an elongated hollow body having a pair of open ends, a pair of tape rolls each rotatably mounted within said body adjacent one of said ends, said tape rolls comprising an interchangeably functioning dispenser roll and a reserve roll, each roll having a portion of its circumference projecting through the associated open end of said body whereby it may function as an applicator roll when the other roll functions as a tape dispenser, a tape severing means mounted on said body at one side of each open end, the tape from said dispenser roll being guidingly trained about a substantial portion of the circumference of the reserve roll and about the projecting portion of the latter and extending from thence across the associated open end and to the exterior of said body to the associated severing means, the tape of each roll having an adhesive coated observe side facing inwardly of its roll and with a non-adhesive reverse side of the tape from either roll being guidingly engaged with and trained about the other roll and with its adhesive coated obverse side being exposed upon the exterior of said body and extended across the projecting portion of said other roll and across said open end.

2. A tape dispenser consisting of a hollow elongated body having side walls together with opposite open ends, a pair of tape rolls each mounted rotatably within said body adjacent one of said opposite ends, each roll including a tape with its obverse side adhesively coated and facing inwardly of its roll, either one of said rolls selectively comprising a dispensing roll with the other roll comprising a combined applicator, reserve and guide roll, the tape from the dispensing roll having its reverse side guidingly engaging and trained about the guide roll, the side walls on opposite sides of each open end having knife edges upon their ends, said dispensed tape having its reverse side passing from said guide roll across the associated open end and across an associated knife edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,796 Kaiser June 17, 1930 2,016,527 Voigt Oct. 8, 1935 2,119,537 Halpin June 7, 1938 2,324,204 EFiSCher July 13, 1943 2,663,510 Rodgers Dec. 22, 1943 2,854,682 Berenzny Oct. 7, 1958 2,910,217 Emment et al. Oct. 27, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 530,271 Italy July 6, 1955 556,929 Canada May 6, 1958 1,179,198 France Dec. 15, 1958 846,594 Great Britain Aug. 31, 1960 

1. A COMBINED TAPE DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW BODY HAVING A PAIR OF OPEN ENDS, A PAIR OF TAPE ROLLS EACH ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BODY ADJACENT ONE OF SAID ENDS, SAID TAPE ROLLS COMPRISING AN INTERCHANGEABLY FUNCTIONING DISPENSER ROLL AND A RESERVE ROLL, EACH ROLL HAVING A PORTION OF ITS CIRCUMFERENCE PROJECTING THROUGH THE ASSOCIATED OPEN END OF SAID BODY WHEREBY IT MAY FUNCTION AS AN APPLICATOR ROLL WHEN THE OTHER ROLL FUNCTIONS AS A TAPE DISPENSER, A TAPE SEVERING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BODY AT ONE SIDE OF EACH OPEN END, THE TAPE FROM SAID DISPENSER ROLL BEING GUIDINGLY TRAINED ABOUT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE RESERVE ROLL AND ABOUT THE PROJECTING PORTION OF THE LATTER AND EXTENDING FROM THENCE ACROSS THE ASSOCIATED OPEN END AND TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BODY TO THE ASSOCIATED SEVERING MEANS, THE TAPE OF EACH ROLL HAVING AN ADHESIVE COATED OBSERVE SIDE FACING INWARDLY OF ITS ROLL AND WITH A NON-ADHESIVE REVERSE SIDE OF THE TAPE FROM EITHER ROLL BEING GUIDINGLY ENGAGED WITH AND TRAINED ABOUT THE OTHER ROLL AND WITH ITS ADHESIVE COATED OBVERSE SIDE BEING EXPOSED UPON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BODY AND EXTENDED ACROSS THE PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID OTHER ROLL AND ACROSS SAID OPEN END. 